The South & West Plans panel was due to decide today (6 August 2015) on the controversial Aspiring Communities plan for the Ice Pak site in Beeston. But Planning officers pulled their report from the agenda just 24 hours before the meeting.
The following statement was placed on the Council’s website yesterday:
“Following further internal discussion regarding representations from the applicants a decision has been taken by officers to withdraw the application from this Panel, as prior to consideration of the application by Panel further clarification is required on certain issues. The intention is to report the application to a later Panel, the earliest being 17th September.”
A site visit by panel members went ahead this morning as planned and councillors heard that officers have no concerns about the look of the building; they felt the project would benefit the community; and the closure of the rear entrance would benefit residents compared to its previous use by Ice Pak.
However they still had concerns about the underground parking and traffic issues.
Naz Marouf from Aspiring Communities said:
“We are disappointed there has been yet another delay to the decision on our project, but we will continue to work with Planning officers and hope that they will be able to recommend approval when it finally comes to Panel.”
“they felt the project would benefit the community”
Really??
I guess that means they haven’t read the objections that have been lodged.
Wonder if these are the same out of touch people that thought a “managed prostitution zone” was a great idea for the people of Holbeck 🙁
How many of the planning panel that attended the Ice Pac site this morning live in the locality, not many I suspect so how on earth can they comment “they felt the project would benefit the community” this planning application will benefit one group only and it will not be the local residents. There is a lack of faith in the Leeds Planning Department panel, surely to gain trust the planning panel should have invited the locals and also listen to our point of view, at least then a balanced decision could be drawn not a one side decision.
Just to clarify, the Plans Panel is made up Councillors (more here: http://democracy.leeds.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=950). They were not making any decisions today, they were shown round the site by Planning Officers who made the comment you quote. The site visit was open to members of the public to attend, as I did. No representations were made to Panel members by Aspiring Communities or anyone else. The decision will be made by a meeting of the panel which is also open to the public and will hear comments in favour and opposed to the scheme.
Jeremy, I appreciate your comments and I also know that the visit was to familiarize themselves with the site so that an informed decision could be made. However our local Councillors have stated that they have no influence over the planning committee, which is meant to be impartial.Living very close to this application I was invited to the planning meeting at the civic hall, no mention was however made that the visit this morning was open to the public. This is yet again a process of mixed messages been sent out.
What benefits are they talking about then to the local community? The traffic congestion alone is enough to stop this project in it’s tracks and the fact that information was sketchy at best on what was planned. This matter should have been dealt with and closed some time ago but for some reason(?????????)the planning department at Leeds City Council still want to give them more and more time, when anyone else would have had the plan rejected!
Try simple affordable housing that is needed rather than this ‘waste of time ‘development that is not wanted by anyone local (see objections!!!!!).
This episode really is a sorry one for the council, absolutely shambolic.
There have been multiple planning applications, then amendments by Aspiring Communities, and there doesn’t seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel in terms of reaching a conclusion over this issue.
The easiest way to put this to bed would be to have a public vote of the residents of this particular area of Beeston – with the result being binding.
When the inevitable happens and an overwhelming majority of residents reject it, there can be motions undertaken to put the site to better use. Housing, or an extension to the school perhaps?